Endgame for Empire

The process of European colonization was not simply a matter of armed invaders elbowing themselves into position to take charge. Like the other imperial powers, the British found that maintaining their American empire required complicated negotiations with Indians. On the other hand, the British developed a unique approach to the legal issues of colonization. By 1763, Britain had defeated Spain and France for dominance over much of the continent and renewed efforts to repair relations with Indians, especially in the southern colonies. Over the ensuing decade the reconstitution of once-promising British-Creek relations stalled and then collapsed, ultimately leading the southeastern colonists directly into the arms of the patriot cause. John Juricek explains how British failures, including the growing gap between promises and actions, led not only to a loss of potential allies among the Creeks but also to the rapid conversion of dutiful British subjects into outraged revolutionaries.